New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-06
A QUEER STORY.
TILE I,rurpSNIyU MYSTERY.

Mr.. Martin Stuckcy had been pros CRUZ
colonial merchant in his day, hut NJ 'hc az
of fity-fvc he encountered succession VI "','
fortunes which ultimately landed INN IN lne
bankruptcy Court When that CRISIS WAS l"1o
he went to live in small house AT liAh''rSn'i'"
with his wife, his younger son Ephr'lln' anu 1'.'
servant. Not long after his vile area, an" ,'lS
last blow reduced Tire old man 10 complete
.rccl,. lie became childish and lost his mem
ory so completely that he hal no recollection oil
ordinary events from day to day. winch was
perhaps a mcrciful dislcnsation of Provideh"
after ALL
Fphraim Stucicy WAS now the master OF t,e
house. though the house itself belonged 10 inc
father having been purchased with some money
of Mrs Stuclcy's Epbraim was stocNhrokcr
i'm mail way Of business which might nave pcch
larger If Ephra:m himself had been f1ndcr OF
work and had combined little more greroii,cS9
for tie comm ;ss;OnS of clients with niue "SS
faith in grand speculative coupS on his own &C
count lie was addicted 10 grumbling at tlc
hardshils Of his LOT. ana more particularly ~ t'c
burden OF keeping the old man, as he Gilicd HIS
fatEer This however, WAS as uirc"H"n"oic ">
II was undutiful for not only was Il'hfdlm Nv =
ing rcnt-frcc in his fathers house, but old MI
ktuckcy's maintenance fully provided Tor
ny the elder SON Alfred Alfred in his fathers
palmy days. had locn put into the Ihufcn. lie
was now a curatc in Midland county PARISH Oh
q princely stipend of 600 year, out oil Wllch
~ contributed $50 wear to his father SulV"io
Ephraim If any ore therefore. had reason 10
Crumblc at the proiOngation of the fathers me
II was Alfred. IT must lie mentioned. however,
that there was ore small expectation Tor DOT"
tie sons upon their fathers death M'r'ih H'"rN-
cy's life had been insured in better days for ~
600. and the premiums upon the IoNcy had prch
kept up by the Joint contributions of the TWO
Young men, But MIR. Stuclcy showed no lhlnlc-
Ciatc likelihood of enabling his sons 10 rcaii"
this investment. Since the breakdown OF his
mind his bodily health had much improved. as not
unfrcqucntly happens in such eases. ana ms men
tai inca acity was rot OF a kind to cause ahAlc'N'
There had been at one time question between
the brothers a ont providing him with an al"n"-
ant, but Ephram opposed TO unnecessary eN-
Tcnse. and pointed ont that the old gentleman
never left the house unless 10y inNltailon aduft''
while within doors. hc perfectly under the
control Of those about him. including even the
one maitScEVant OF the cstabllStncht-a trust
worthy young woman. who had been with inc
family for some years The truth was That the
old gentleman was so submissive that. il so
ordered. he would remain in one room for hours
together and under these circumstances IL really
seemed that Ephraim and the maid were qul~
capable Of looking after him. This idca how
ever, turned out 10 be erroneous.
The Rev. Alfred Stuckey did not often visit
London but when he did 50 he always endcavofcd
10 spend day with lis father. On such occasions
lie would generally take the old gentleman out
with him for the day. processing 10 think that
he was too much confined to the house. one day
about the middle Of October, Ephraim StucNeN
informed the maidservant that his brother was
coming to town, and added that, ii Alfred should
take his father out as he sometimes dld, She
had better take days holiday.
In due course the Rev. Alfred arrived ard,
after ending n night at the house, he said that
he would take his father by Steamboat TO hdch-
mont for the day. The maid was accordingly
informed that she could have her promised
holiday Then. however. a difficulty arose. The
girl wished to 60 some distance and could not
be- back before o'clock ir the evening Alircd'
Oh the other hand, had no intention OF keeping
his father out till that hour. and besides this.
h. hai 10 return that night to his parish, for
which purpose he must leave st THncras station
al about o'clock. Who. then, was 10 take charge
OF old Mr. Stuclcy in the interval?
Il dare say | can get home" said Ephraim.
what time will you return -
That depends on father. Not later than
p'eo,0 in any case. As | have TO he at ST. Fan
eras by | shall leave here before $780,
II think | can manage 10 be back by that
time" said Ephraim, "and there is no harm in
leaving the governor for half an hour by himself.
II | am not here when yOn return put him INTO
.hat armchair give him his pipe. and tell him in
your most impressive voice that he is not TO sur
on any account till come in"
Arc YOU sure that he will be all right?'
Perfectly. lie would not move if the house
were on fire"
With this understanding the parties separated.
1t was between 80 and p M on the same
.av when Mr.. Ephraim Stuclicy presented him
self at Hammersmith Police Station and asked
for assistance. He made at the same time
statement from which. in addition TO the above
facts il appeared that in consequence or business
unexpectedly OBTAINING him in town, he had not
reached home until close upon o'clock. He then
of nc fnth nr ar of
after waiting for the return Of the servant and
making inquiries about the ncghbOrhoOd, he had
come TO the conclusion that on being left alone
his father had. for the first time on record, taken
il into his head to 90 out by himself, and had
either lost himself or met with some worse mis-
chance.
Subsequent events confirmed the latter theory.
The Rev. Alfred Stuclxey, on being communicated
with by telegram next day. replied that he had
left his father at home in his chair 1t 10 ON the
previous evening. On the same day Mr. Stuckey $
hat was found in the oscr beds nj CMswic<. A
day or two later a walking stick, which had
certainly belonged to him, picked up in the
river at Chelsea. The police continued the hue
and-cry with undated vigor, but after these
discoveries only one theory Of the old gcntlemans
lisapl ca seemed tenablc There was no motive
20 suggest his having met foul play. lie had
neither the means not the strength to nave
travelled to any distance The conclusion seemed
Inevitable that he had straycd out for some
purpose-pcrhaps for no other reason than that
his days outing had unduly excited hm-and had
somehow fallen into the river II was a consdera-
bic time, however, before the discovery OF the
body put the old mans fate beyond question.
During the interval Ephraim Stuckcy was more
than once summoned 10 different POINTS between
Kew Bridge and Gravcsend for the purpose OF
inspecting the CHASTITY human ioatsam and jetsam
Of the river, but without result Four weeks had
nearly elapsed when he received information that
ihe body of an elderly man had been found at
Deptford, the linen Of which appeared to have
been marked with an IS" The features were all
but unrccognizabc, but after such inspection
as was POSSIBLE Ephraim without hesitation pro-
bounced the remains to be those OF his father.
The inquest which followed and which was, OF
course, held at DeptfOrd, added only one addi-
tional fact to those above stated. The medical